No end to this disgrace in sight! Essay Example for Free

No end to this disgrace in sight! Essay †¢ U. S. Prison Population Soars in 2003, 04 The population of the nations prisons and jails has grown by about 900 inmates each week between mid-2003 and mid-2004, according to figures released Sunday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. By last June 30 the system held 2. 1 million people, or one in every 138 U. S. residents. [The] increase can be attributed largely to get-tough policies enacted in the 1980s and 1990s. Among them are mandatory drug sentences, three-strikes-and-youre-out laws for repeat offenders and truth-in-sentencing laws that restrict early releases. [M]any of those incarcerated are not serious or violent offenders, but are low-level drug offenders — ABC News, 2005-04-25 Its a rosy future for the prisons-for-profit industry. †¢ Gregory Palast: Gilded Cage: Wackenhuts Free Market in Human Misery †¢ A Letter to Barbara Bush †¢ Noam Chomsky: The War on (Certain) Drugs †¢ Lee Rodgers: The Duplicity of the War on Drugs Looking at the accumulated evidence that the Contras and the CIA engaged in cocaine smuggling to fund the covert war in Nicaragua, suspicion arises concerning the apparent coincidence that CIA-Contra drug smuggling was contemporaneous with the war on drugs. From a CIA covert action in Latin America the cocaine has made its way NORTH (ala Oliver North) to the American consumer, who is consistently portrayed as African-American by the mass media, even though the majority of cocaine consumption is by whites. The disturbing prospect arises that this war on drugs was nothing more than CIA-style psychological warfare which sought to acquire as much as possible of the sum total of our civil liberties while particularly targeting minorities. †¢ Daniel Hopsicker: The Secret Heartbeat of America: A New Look at the Mena Story. I will never, as long as I live, forget our Midnight ride to Mena, seated beside tour guide and American hero Russell Welch. Im convinced that what I saw there that night was a fully functional and operational secret government installation. By that, I do not mean a secret installation of the government of the United States of America. Unh-uh. What I believe I saw, and what I believe exists in Mena, Arkansas today is an installation of the secret government that runs the government of the United States of America. And heres what I suspect: that today, long after Oliver North has become nothing but a minor league radio DJ and long after the contra war is just a fading memory of yet another minor league war, our government — yours and mine — is going about the lucrative worldwide business of drug production and distribution. †¢ Peter Webster: Anatomy of a Fiasco: a review of The Swedish Drug Control System As with the understanding of crowd madnesses and ritual persecutions of old, a satisfactory and general theory of our great modern Prohibitionist folly will probably have to await not only the final demise of the madness, but an intervening period of normalization and healing recuperation lasting perhaps several generations. From the perspective of the distant future, historians may well conclude that the centuries-long phenomenon of Substance Prohibition reached its dizzying peak in the late 20th Century as a climactic exaggeration ad absurdum of a long-enduring collective delusion and paranoia. But even if we could, by virtue of a time machine, read such a theory today, the continued existence of the crowd madness in our midst would certainly preclude any general recognition or acceptance of its validity. Thus, although there now exist a few obscure essays which may someday be seen as harbingers of that still-distant revelation, they will probably have minimal influence on the immediate course of events and we can today do little more than study local details of the Prohibitionist phenomenon and force society to look at the ugly and counterproductive results of its obsession in the ongoing attempt at curing the malady by stages. There seems absolutely no possibility that a great and general truth about Prohibition, no matter how brilliantly expressed, could today awaken Western Civilization from its present nightmare. But in the meanwhile, to assist the growing number of individuals who can see the inevitable if distant dawn of a new rationality, a wealth of excellent literature exists and continues to grow at a gratifying pace. Such literature deals with the local details of the Prohibitionist phenomenon in ways which both illustrate its illogic and destructiveness to society, and suggests practical if only provisional tactics and strategy for limiting the ravages of Prohibition and tackling the difficult task of awakening the general public to its complicity and participation in a crowd madness of major proportions. †¢ Kristianna ThoMas: Opium War: Britain Stole Hong Kong From China Governments have been behind the drug trade for a long time. †¢ Illicit Lemon Drops Get Boy a School Suspension — from the Los Angeles Times, 1997-11-20: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 6-year-old boy has been suspended for half a day for bringing drugs to school: lemon drops bought in a health food store. The fire department and an ambulance were called after a teacher found first-grader Seamus Morris giving the candies to a fellow pupil on the playground Oct. 29, said his mother, Shana Morris. She said both boys parents were urged to take their children to the hospital for tests, despite her assurances that the lemon drops were harmless. John Bushey, an administrator at Taylor Elementary School, said the half-day suspension was consistent with the districts drug policy, which treats unfamiliar products as controlled substances. Heres the original Denver Post story. †¢ How the U. S. Drug War Plays in the European Media According to Juan, the US government is chiefly concerned with getting political and economic advantages from the drug trade Washington uses the DEA to pressure other countries politically. At times, the US permits drug trafficking so that it can get information to use to blackmail foreign governments. As the Hopsicker article shows, the U. S. State of Arkansas is one of the murky epicenters of the CIAs smuggling of addictive drugs into America. Finally some light is falling upon the creepie-crawlie characters in this cesspool. The case of Dan Harmon is interesting: †¢ Dan Harmon Indicted. He is charged with running a drug-related criminal enterprise while serving as prosecuting attorney for the states 7th Judicial District and heading its federally funded drug task force. †¢ Dan Harmon Convicted Despite the apparent wish of the federal prosecutors to take a dive, the jury convicts. †¢ Arkansas Justice An editorial from the Wall Street Journal. †¢ A Question Regarding Harmon Harmon ran what a lawyer in Pulaski County recently described as a reign of terror in the counties he was sworn to serve. All of that raises the question of why the man was not stopped earlier. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Those interested in the drug scandals of Arkansas can read more on the CIA page and in the selected messages from the CIADRUGS mailing list. †¢ Crime and the War on Drugs — from Harry Brownes 1996 U. S. presidential election campaign platform †¢ Vin Suprynowicz: The Big Lie †¢ U. S. to Criminalize Trade in Vitamins Are you a vitamin C abuser? †¢ DEA raid on Shulgin Laboratory †¢ Further information and ongoing reports from the trustee of the Alexander T. Shulgin Trust (including the final report). †¢ Drug lawyer speculates on the future. †¢ The Marijuana Policy Project The MPP is working to chip away at the excesses of the current prohibitionist policies, gradually replacing them with reasonable regulations. †¢ Interview with Michael Levine, former DEA agent, in which he relates his involvement as an undercover agent in heroin and cocaine smuggling in S. E. Asia and South America. †¢ Cocaine Politics — Drugs, Armies and the CIA in Central America A book by an academic and a journalist which exposes the lies and hypocrisy behind the war on drugs. †¢ A review of Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure †¢ A review of The Politics of Consciousness: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom †¢ The Arguments against Cannabis are Flimsy! from the Usenet newsgroup uk. politics. drugs. †¢ The Introduction from the 1996 Positronics Sinsemilla Fanclub Catalogue. There are some countries (considerably more enlightened than the U. S. ) where the war on drugs is perceived even by the government itself to be a lie and a fraud. †¢ Paul Staines: Acid House Parties Against the Lifestyle Police and the Safety Nazis †¢ Costs of cannabis laws outweigh their alleged benefit, an excerpt from Marijuana: The New Prohibition by Professor John Kaplan. †¢ Civil Asset Forfeiture — the end of the rule of law Legal theft in America. †¢ The Introduction to Brenda Grantlands Your House is Under Arrest You may say this could never happen in America because the U. S. Constitution protects you. There you are wrong, because it is happening in the U. S. — at an alarmingly increasing pace. †¢ Judy Aita: U. N. Drug Report †¢ Licensed to Deal, Marijuana Sellers Put Arizona on the Spot †¢ U. S. prosecutions of pro-marijuana doctors barred At the end of April 1997 a U. S. district judge issued an order temporarily barring the federal government from prosecuting California doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients. †¢ Court gives pot back to epileptic Judge Sheppard stressed that his decision had nothing to do with the recreational use of marijuana but was based on solid proof that the substance is an irreplaceable aid to Mr.Parkers health problems. He said that to deny Mr. Parker the substance would be to interfere with his right to life, liberty and security of person. Liberty includes the right of an individual to make decisions of personal importance, the judge said, and health is surely one of them. †¢ Steven Silverman: A Harsh Civics Lesson †¢ Dr. Bernhard Haisch: A Viagra-model Solution to the War on Drugs †¢ Medical Use of Cannabis Could Soon be Legal †¢ Illicit drug use in the EU: legislative approaches (372 Kb PDF file) †¢ Edgar J. Steele: Pogo Was Right.

Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essay -- In Cold Blood Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many writers traditionally use their imagination to fabricate an interesting yet fictional story. Only their creativity and vision limit their writing. They can afford to neglect minor details because they do not base their stories on factual information. There existed a period when this was the only practiced style when writing a novel. However, Truman Capote pioneered the 'nonfiction novel', as he called it, when he undertook the writing of In Cold Blood. His book described the well-known murders of the Clutters, a model American family. Due to the fact that Capote was writing a factual account of the crime, he thought it necessary to make his novel correct in even the smallest details. This proved to be a very difficult project, but his perseverance paid off. Capote made use of many literary techniques in order to grab the interest of his readers. He wanted his novel to be more than just a newspaper description of the crime. Finally, In Cold Blood was a great s uccess because it told a true story in an interesting way. Capote overcame a big milestone by discovering a way to write a nonfiction novel, which appealed to everyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, Capote knew that he was creating a new art form when he wrote his greatest work, In Cold Blood. He was a writer for the New Yorker, which gave him good practice in gathering important facts It took him six years to complete this book because that is the amount of time that passed from the time the Clutters were murdered to the time the criminals were put to death. Truman Capote wanted his novel to be as close to the true facts as possible. He painstakingly gathered information from Holocomb, Kansas, the site of the murders, and various other settings. In reference to Capote?s obsession for accuracy, Gerald Clark wrote   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Cold Blood may have been written like a novel, but it is accurate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to the smallest detail, ?immaculately factual? Truman publicly boasted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it has no footnotes, he could point out to an obvious source   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  for every remark uttered and every thought expressed. ?One doesn?t   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  spend almost six years on a book, the point of which is factual accuracy,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and then give way to minor distortions.?(358) Because Truman had to devote much of his time to the research and writing of this novel, he wanted to be thorough. He was so proud of his work that he dubbe... ...nent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to every event, and the creative vision of an artist who can arrange his   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  materials in such a manner that the reader is moved to pity, terror, joy,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and sorrow.(237) Capote proved his excellence in writing by maintaining a firm grasp on his reader?s attention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, In Cold Blood was a pioneer novel because it combined journalism with fiction techniques. It was very difficult for Truman Capote to write this novel because he had to gather massive amounts of data in order to make the book factual. Next, he needed to organize that data in such a way that it would be interesting to the reader. Secondly, Capote used many literary techniques such as flashback and dramatic irony to make his novel more interesting. Finally, this novel was very appealing to all people because it was based on a true crime. Edward Weeks wrote ?he is providing the readers with a high-minded aesthetic excuse for reading about a mean, sordid crime.(160)? This means that Capote provided people with an artistic account of the Clutter murders rather than a straightforward, newspaper one. Works Cited: Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York: Vintage, 1965.

Decline of the Ottoman Empire

Decline of the Ottoman Empire The history of the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century is one of increasing internal weakness and deterioration. Once a super power, the Ottoman Empire fell because of a combination of internal degeneration and external pressures. Loss of economic vitality resulted as Europe went to Africa for trade and relied on the Americas rather than the Ottoman middleman. Industrialized Europe soon surpassed outdated Ottoman traditions. Poor leadership gave way to loss of centralized control, and ultimately, its collapse.Ottoman decline occurred due to economic difficulties, military issues, and demise of political structure (corruption in government). One of the main causes of the decline of the Ottoman Empire was the decline in losses due to trade, along with many stifling economic issues. At one point, the Ottoman Empire was the center of trade, due to its location. As technology advanced, and explorers discovered new parts of the world, the Ottoman Empire b ecame less of an influence in trade.This trend started as early as the 1580s, when Omer Talib, an Ottoman geographer, warned the Sultan of the threat. He said, â€Å"Now the Europeans have learnt to know the whole world; they send their ships everywhere and seize important ports. Formerly the goods†¦. used to come to Suez and were distributed by Muslims to the entire world. But now these goods are carried on Portuguese, Dutch, and English ships†¦the Ottomans must seize the shores of Yemen and the passing trade†¦otherwise Europeans will Rule† (Bernard Lewis, The Emergence of Modern Turkey, page 28).Exactly as predicted, the world trade, which used to flow through the Ottoman Empire, decreased sharply in the 17th Century. The Europeans traded directly with Asia leaving the Ottomans in the middle. The Dutch and British completely closed the old international trade routes through the Middle East. The lack of trade was not the only economic issue that brought the de cline of the Ottoman influence. Inflation played a huge role in the destabilization of central Ottoman powers, along causing unrest among the population.The Ottomans had a silver based monetary system and with the newfound metals from the Americas, it caused the sudden flow of cheap and plentiful silver, which had a catastrophic financial impact. The price of silver fell, bringing an imbalance of trade between the East and West. Eventually, guilds were unable to provide quality goods at prices low enough to compete with the cheap European manufactured goods that entered the empire without restriction due to trade agreements. This continued inflation caused prices to quadruple and the devaluation of the coin.Adding to that, much of the states’ revenue was stuck to the hands of the local elites which shows how decentralized the system had become. Although economic issues affected the Ottoman Empire greatly, they weren’t the only cause for the decline of the empire. The O ttoman Empire was known as one of the most powerful empires, but as technology advanced, their influence of power decreased. The Ottoman Empire witnessed substantial loss in their military power, as a result of the Janissaries diminishing loyalty, which was the essence of the military.These janissaries were a highly regarded military group. Although they represented and defended the Ottoman Empire, they were not of Ottoman decent, but Europeans who were trained to be loyal to the Empire. The janissaries were generally boys between the ages of 8 to 16 who came from European and Christian rural families, who had been taken to Istanbul, the capital of the empire, where they were converted to Islam. They were the glue which kept the military system together, and which made it so strong.However, starting in the mid 1600s, the Janissaries began to slowly divide amongst themselves, which caused the military system to slowly weaken. They began dividing old versus young, and reformers versus anti-reformers. The Sultans who were trying to implement reforms lost control over the Janissaries who resisted these changes because they would have meant a loss or decrease in many of their privileges. After numerous revolts, realizing that there was no chance in correcting the situation, the Sultans abolished Janissaries in 1826.This caused extreme military weakness within the Empire, and essentially caused the military system to fall in disarray and chaos. This weakening of their military made it an ideal environment for external military conflicts, allowing European powers to take over parts of the Ottoman Empire. Much of the Ottoman military demise can be blamed on the corrupt administration within the Empire. The Sultans had discovered a quick and easy way of making money by selling jobs such as tax collectors positions to the highest bidder.Government officials known as Viziers were appointed through manipulation and palace favors, as opposed to the honest being promoted up the administrative ladder through experience and ability. These viziers were responsible for the city and the affairs of the province they governed. They problem with giving someone a high position based on how much they paid is that they did not have the skills or experience to properly perform the Job. Learning from the Sultan, this trend of officials selling their position spread throughout the empire.These corrupt and unqualified officials would use their authority to squeeze more taxes from the populace. The taxes that were collected hardly went back to the state. In most cases, these viziers would just keep the revenue for themselves. The corruption started at the highest level, and worked its way down the administrative system, weakening and disrupting the Government, which caused the entire Empire to feel the consequences. The Ottoman Empire was at one point on of the vastest empires in history. Unable to keep up with the advancing global market, it became less of an influe ntial trading region.Along with an unstable economy and a high inflation on their currency, they suffered from collapse of their military. Even if the Janissaries had not revolted, and actually accepted moves toward advancing the Empires military, the industrial revolution and the shift in global trade would have starved the empire from the financial means to survive. Political corruption was a less direct cause of decline, as it took many years for the entire system to become flawed by it, however, the combination of all 3 factors brought the demise of the Ottoman EmpireWorks Cited â€Å"History of the Ottoman Empire – Decline and Fall. † History of the Ottoman Empire – Decline and Fall. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . Lewis, Bernard. The Emergence of Modern Turkey. London: Issued under the Auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs [by] Oxford U. P. , 1968. Print. Inalc? k, Halil. The Ottoman Empire; the Classical Age, 1300-1600. New York: Pra eger, 1973. Print.

Good Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions

If youre applying to a college with holistic admissions, including the great majority of schools that use the Common Application, your extracurricular involvement will be a factor in the college admissions process. But what exactly are colleges looking for on the extracurricular front? Prospective college students and their parents frequently ask me what extracurricular activities will most impress college admissions officers, and my answer is always the same: the activity that shows passion and dedication. What Do Colleges Look for in Extracurricular Activities? As you think about your extracurricular involvement, keep these points in mind: Dont be a dabbler. Colleges would rather see the depth of involvement in one or two activities, rather than a large number of extracurricular activities that reflect superficial involvement. It will be more impressive if you are involved with theater for four years rather than theater for a year, yearbook for a year, chorus for a year, and debate team for a year. Show that you are dedicated to developing and deepening your skills. Similarly, with sports, colleges would rather see an applicant focus on a sport for four years and progress from modified to JV to varsity. That student will bring more skills to a college than someone who never spent more than a year testing a sport.Whatever you do, do it well. If you are doing what you love to do, doing it well and taking the lead in the activity, you have found the perfect extracurricular activity. Something quirky like being an expert at Rubiks Cube can turn into a meaningful extracurricular activity that will be attractive to college a dmissions offices.The actual activity doesnt much matter. No one activity is better than another. Drama, music, sports, yearbook, dance, community service...Any one of these can be a winner on a college application if you reveal dedication, leadership, and passion. Colleges offer a wide range of sports, clubs, musical ensembles, theater groups, and student organizations. The college wants to enroll a group of students with diverse interests.Make sure your activity aligns with the college. Do your research so that you know what extracurricular activities are offered at the schools to which you apply. If you are a virtuoso on the violin and your college application discusses your desire to continue violin in college, youd better make sure the college actually offers opportunities for playing violin (or make sure the college has opportunities for you to start your own string ensemble). Colleges arent simply looking for students with meaningful extracurricular involvement. They are look ing for students whose meaningful extracurricular involvement will be an asset to the school.Leadership comes in many forms. Leadership in extracurricular activities doesnt mean standing in front of a group and giving orders. Leadership can involve designing the set of a play, being section leader in the band, organizing a fundraiser, starting a club related to the activity, designing a groups website, or, of course, serving as an officer for a student organization.Work experience counts. Finally, keep in mind that colleges are also happy to see work experiences on your application, and schools understand when your work schedule prevents you from being as involved in extracurricular activities at your school as other students. Here, as with other extracurricular activities, some work experiences will be more impressive than others. Have you won any awards for doing your job well? Have you been promoted? Did you accomplish anything innovative for your employer? The bottom line: Any extracurricular involvement is good, but your dedication and level of involvement is what will really make your application shine. The table below can help illustrate this idea: Activity Good Better Truly Impressive Drama Club You were a member of the stage crew for a play. You played small parts in plays for all four years of high school. You moved from small roles to lead roles during your four years of high school, and you helped direct a play in the elementary school. Band You played flute in the concert band in 9th and 10th grade. You played flute for four years in the concert band and were 1st chair by senior year. You played flute in the concert band (1st chair), marching band (section leader), pep band, and orchestra for four years. You played in the All-State Band your senior year. Soccer You played JV soccer in 9th and 10th grade. You played JV soccer in 9th grade and varsity soccer in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. You played soccer all four years of high school, and you were team captain and a top scorer during your senior year. You were chosen for the All-State Team. Habitat for Humanity You assisted building houses one summer. You worked on multiple projects every year of high school. You worked on multiple projects every year of high school, and you organized fundraising events and lined up sponsors to support the projects. Extracurricular Activities